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Reporters Without Borders said in it’s 2005 special report titled “Xinhua: the world’s biggest propaganda agency”, that “Xinhua remains the voice of the sole party”, “particularly during the SARS epidemic, Xinhua has for last few months been putting out news reports embarrassing to the government, but they are designed to fool the international community, since they are not published in Chinese.”

The growing organ transplant industry in China has attracted investments of foreign pharmaceutical companies, specializing in organ transplant drugs. But a representative from Amnesty International in Switzerland says these companies need to consider more than just business when engaging with China because of the illegal practices taking place there.

[Danièle Gosteli, Economy & Human Rights, Amnesty International, Swiss Action]:
“Of course if an international company knowingly participates and continues to do so even with the knowledge of organ trade, this would have a very bad effect on its reputation.”
Companies like Swiss-based Roche, that markets its transplant drugs in China, have come under fire from rights advocates for ignoring violation of ethics taking place under the Chinese regime.

According to official statistics, about 10,000 organ transplants are carried out in China every year, and 65% of them are estimated to come from executed prisoners, usually without proof of consent. An ongoing investigation by international human rights advocates also point to the source of organs coming from living Falun Gong practitioners who are imprisoned for their beliefs. Under the Chinese regime, their organs are removed while they are still alive and sold to transplant patients.

Danièle Gosteli says these practices should pose a problem for drug companies.

Gosteli says international companies should pressure the Chinese regime to make the sourcing of organs a transparent practice.

[Danièle Gosteli, Economy & Human Rights, Amnesty International, Swiss Action]:
“There is a time when one needs to have a higher standard than just corporate competitiveness when it comes to matters of human rights violations.”